Folding crate



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. BROOK. FOLDING GRATE.

Patented Aug. 201.1889;

lA/VE/VTOH Jzzas' 7737 007.

A WIT/11588558: Oked/ A TWO/M15) 2 t e e h s s t e e h S 3 T 0 M RC G NI WD L m m M M O Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

INVENTUI? 1.76527766 Wfii'flair By M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JAMES IV. BROOK, OF LYN OI-IBURG, VIRGINIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,386, dated August20, 1889. Application filed April 26, 1889. Serial No. 308,743. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. BROOK, of Lynehburg, in the count-y ofCampbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Folding Crates, of which the following is aspecification. a.

My invention is an improvement in crates; and it consists in certainnovel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

I11 the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my crate. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of same the cover being raised. Fig. 3 is a detail viewof the bottom and end pieces. Fig. at is a detail view of the front sidepiece. Fig. 5 shows the rear side piece and top. Fig. 6 is a detail viewof the partition, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the fastening-bar, allof which will be described.

The crate, when in position for use, pre sents the appearance of anordinary crate with a hinged top.

I construct the box with a bottom section A, having the ends B hinged attheir lower ends to it, such bottom having frame beams or sills a, andthe ends having frame beams or uprights I), such beams to and Z) beingarranged to lie side by side when the ends are folded down on thebottom, so that the parts A and B may be compactly folded together. Iprovide the sills acentrally between their ends with theupwardly-projected dowels O, to enter the sockets in the side piecespresently described. I also form the end uprights I) with. sockets (Z,to receive the dowels on the side pieces.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when not in use the endsand bottom may be detached from the other parts of the crate and becompactly folded, the ends folding down close on the bottom piece.

For convenience of reference, I shall refer to the side pieces E and Eas respectively the front and rear sides. Each of such sides is providedin its lower edge with a socket c, to receive the dowels C of the base,and at each end with dowels D, to enter the sockets d in the end pieces.It will be seen,therefore, that when the ends B are turned up at rightangles to the base A, and the sides are applied by fitting the sockets con dowels O, and the dowels D into sockets (l, and the sides are firmlyclamped together, a strong rigid box is provided. By preference each ofthe sides has a central upright F and end uprights f.

The front side E is provided at its ends, near its upper edge, with eyesG to receive the hooks h on one end of rods H, which are secured to therear side section E.

It will be noticed that the eyes or staples G are arranged on the innersides of the end uprights f, and the hooks are connected with the enduprights f of the rearsection at the outer side thereof, the result ofsuch peculiar arrangem ent being that the hook-rods H extend diagonallybetween the front and rear sides, at the end of same, and serve as aclosure of the space at the ends of the top, as shown.

The hooks 7L are locked in the eyes or staples G by the mechanismpresently described.

The front section is provided near its lower end with the hookrods I,secured at one end to the end uprights f, near the lower ends of thelatter, and provided at their other ends with hooks i to enter eyes orstaples g, provided on the uprights f of the rear side piece. It will beunderstood that these rods will in use be held in engagement with theeyes g by the material packed in the crate above said rods I. The rods11 I and the eyes engaged thereby serve as simple efficient means forclamping the front and rear sides together. The top J is hinged at itsrear edge to the upper edge of the rear side piece E, preferably bymeans of the pintle-rod K, which extends through coincident opening insaid top and side pieces, and has its ends bent at k, being therebysecured. This rod K, running between the upper edge of the side piece Eand the rear edge of the top piece, operates in a measure to close thegap between such parts at said place.

I provide in my crate a hollow ventilatingpartition L, such partitionserving to divide and give strength to the box by bracing the same, andalso operating to give ventilation to the articles packed in the middleof the crate. By preference, the partition is formed with bars or postsZ and slats Z,nailed to the opposite side of same, such slats beingextended beyond the posts Z, so as to lap on opposite sides of thecentral uprights F of the side pieces and brace the partition in place.At its upper end the partition fits between beams or bars j of the top.

The. top J ,whenclosed down in-positi'on,

This arm and portion turning into thestaple operates to draw the frontside more closely against the end piece and braces such front, as willbe seen. It will also be seen that the fastening-rod M extends above andclose to the hooks h and secures such hooks in their staples. When takenapart, the bottom and end pieces are folded together, as before.described. The top is folded down on the rear side piece, it beingprovided at D with sockets for the dowels thereof, so it may be foldedflat down, and the rear side piece having sockets h for the hooks h whenthe parts are folded.

' The fastening-rod M is placed in the holes in the front side piece,and the said parts, together with the partition, may be packed togetherand secured, or the crates may be made in different sizes and the smallones be folded and packed in the large ones when being returned to theshipper.

Cross beams or sills A are provided at the ends of the bottom piece andcover the space below the slats of the end pieces when the ends areraised, and also serve to give strength and'rigidity to the bottom.

Having thus described my inventionavhat I claim as new is- 1. Animproved crate provided with ahollow ventilating-partition Lyconsistingof the bars or posts Z, and slats Z nailed to the opposite sides of bars1 and separated, providing spaces between them, substantially as setforth.

2. In a crate substantially as described, the combination of the bottom,the sides having uprights F, and the hollow ventilatingpartition formedof posts or uprights and .slats, theslats being secured to the oppositesides of the said uprightsand extended at their ends beyond the samewhereby to lap on opposite sides of the uprights F, substantially as setforth.

3. In a crate, substantially as described, the combination, with thesides having uprights F and the top having beams or bars j j, of theventilating-partition formed to fit between the bars j, and having slatsarranged to extend on opposite sides of the uprights F, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination, in a crate, of the bot tom, the ends hinged to saidbottom, the side pieces fitted to said ends and bottom, interj, securedto the under side.

.between said sides, substantially as set forth.

6. As an improvement in crates, the combination, with the front sidepieces having the eyes or staples, and the hooks h, enter ing saidstaples, ofthe top, and the fastening-rod by which tosecure said topclosed,

such rod in its locked position being extended close to the hooks 71.,whereby to hold the same in their staples, substantially asset forth.

7. In a crate, substantially as described, the combination of the frontand rear side pieces having near their ends uprights f, the top, theeyes or staples G, secured'on the inner sides of the uprights f of thefront section, and the rods H, secured at one end to the outside of theuprights f of the rear side section, and having at their other endshooks engaging the eyes'G of the front side section, whereby said rods11 will extend diagonally and serve to fill in ameasure the space at theend of the top,'substantially'as set forth.

i 8. In a folding crate, the combination lOf the front side piece, theend piece having a staple O, the top, and the lock-rod M, passed throughcoincident openings in the top and I side piece, and having at its end acranklike arm m, provided with a portion N, ar-' ranged to enter thestaple O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The improved crate herein described,

consisting of the bottom having dowels O, the

ends B, having sockets d, a staple O on one of said ends, the front sidepiece E, having eyes or staples G and hook-rods I and provided withdowels D and sockets c, the rear IIO side section having dowels D andsocketsc,

the hook-rod I-I, connected with the rear side section, the top hingedto the rear side section, the partition, and the'lo'ck-rod M, having atone end a crank-like arm m, having a portion N, arranged to enter thestaple O, substantially as set forth.

10. In a folding crate, substantially as dedescribed, the combination ofthe bottom piece or section A, having frame beams 01' sills a, and theend pieces B, hinged or pivoted to the bottom A and having frame beamsor uprights 1) arranged to lie alongside the sills a, whereby the endsmay be folded fiat down against the bottom piece, all substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

JAMES XV. BROOK; Vitnesses:

P. B. TURPIN, SoLoN C. KEMON.

